On 9/9/09, a man woke up at 9:09 a.m., jumped on Bus #99 and went to his favorite restaurant on 9th Street. When the cashier rang up his order, it totaled $9.99."Oh, wow, this is an omen!" the man said, so he bought a pair of cheap binoculars at the 99¢ store, pulled out 99 cents in fares and took Bus #99 to the Race Track on 99th Street. As he approached Gate No. 9, he said to the ticket agent: "I would like to bet $999.99 on Horse No. 9 in the 9th race.""Why those particular numbers?" the ticket agent asked."Nine seems to be my lucky number today," the man said excitedly. "I'm really on a roll!"Feeling confident, he sat through the first eight races until Race No. 9 came up. Sure enough, he was on a roll.The horse came in 9th!     09/09/2009

  Windermere Real Estate Southland Weekly Residential Report For Washington County, Utah  SOUTHERN UTAH RESIDENTIAL WEEKLY REPORT FOR THE WEEK SEPTEMBER 01, 2009 ~ SEPTEMBER 08, 2009 Current Week New Listings                                       Closings                                 Pendings Residential - 102                                Residential - 48                      Residential - 69 Land / Lots - 42                                  Land / Lots - 7                       Land / Lots - 5  Prior Week                                        August 25 - September 01, 2009 New Listings                                       Closings                                  Pendings Residential - 137                                Residential -  43                      Residential - 66 La... 09/09/2009

The first Home Run Grant Program, ended in June 2009, provided a $6000 grant to eligible home buyers. The Home Run 2 Grant Program provides a $4000 grant and is on a first come-first served basis. The first program required that homes be ready for occupancy upon closing.  Home Run 2 buyers have two additional options: They can purchase a home that is contracted for construction or partially finished and contracted for completion. Deadline for partially constructed homes is June 30, 2010. Homes that have been previously occupied do not qualify.  May be used for primary residences only. There are approximately 1950 grants available and in order to request the grant, the loan must be fully approved by the underwriter.  The income limits on the program are $75,000 for a single person and $1... 09/08/2009

Style, sophistication and a "Cosmopolitan" atmosphere can be synonomous with Retirement Dining, if you know WHERE to dine that is!  The Riverwalk Grill, located within SunRiver Active Adult Golf Community in St. George, Utah is becoming known for its good cuisine and budget friendly menue.  With Asian inspired décor, an atmosphere that is described as "both beautiful and elegant", and enticing menu items...this isn't where you'd go for the stereotypical retired person's "early bird special" dinner! Brian Passey recently reviewed this restaurant for The Spectrum under the headline of "Riverwalk Grill provides feast for the eyes, appetite".  Brian also noted that, "Occasionally it's nice to find a dining experience that is a bit more cosmopolitan in nature. Everything about the Riverwalk ... 09/07/2009

Circus Circus in Las Vegas has always been a great place to take our boys while they were growing up. The price was reasonable and they were entertained for hours by all the games, rides and food! We went a few years ago with my nephew and his family and I especially enjoyed the excitement on his small children's faces as they enjoyed the sights and sounds. I went on every ride they did and was having a great time until we got on the swinging ship...every time it would swing to its highest point, I got a HUGE FLUTTER in my stomach! Wow! What a sensation...butterflies! This is still a great venue for people of all ages and if you're ever in Las Vegas, I recommend it highly! Circus Circus is only 121 miles - about 1 hour 47 mins from St. George, Utah.   09/02/2009

Southern Utah Weekly Residential Report Thru September 1, 2009Weekly Residential Report For Washington County, UtahFOR THE WEEK August 25, 2009 ~ SEPTEMBER 01, 2009 Current WeekNew Listings                                       Closings                                 PendingsResidential - 137                                Residential - 45                      Residential - 71Land / Lots - 84                                  Land / Lots - 10                     Land / Lots - 9 Prior Week                                        August 18 - August 25, 2009New Listings                                       Closings                                  PendingsResidential - 236                                Residential - 108                     Residential - 131Land / Lots - 143               ... 09/02/2009

 Do you feel it's fair for REO homes and Short Sale homes that have been sitting vacant for long periods of time, with no utilities on, weeds up to the roof (in some cases) to be compared to new or financially healthy properties?I feel it's unfortunate that appraisers are only allowed to look for comparable properties within a distance even if it means the properties are not compatible due to severe living condition differences.A new home is not comparable with a distressed home and needs to be treated as such in order to get a realistic value of a property's worth.What are your thoughts?Perhaps the National Association of Homebuilders will promote change by expanding the boundaries and implementing new guidelines for appraisers to follow.   09/01/2009

Once again, SunRiver St. George has been named one of “America’s 100 Best Master-Planned Communities.” in the July-August 2009 issue.  Calling the community the place to be “for retirees who don’t want to act their age,” - it was a great review.  Several hundred communities across the United States were reviewed, so this is quite an honor.  SunRiver’s developer, Darcy Stewart, was quoted as saying, “This recognition by a prestigious national publication demonstrates our continuing commitment to create a lifestyle second to none for our residents, even in an adverse economic climate.  We are especially pleased that the publisher acknowledged the positive impact our community has on the greater St. George area.” The actual feature doesn't appear to be available online; however, you can or... 08/31/2009

Look up at the horizon and you will see 3 new rooftops at SunRiver...this is the Reflections community. These homes will offer expansive views, great access to miles of BLM land to the west and who wouldn't want to wake up looking at the Pine Valley Mountains every morning? Starting at $399,900 these homes, located in a gated community within SunRiver, will go quickly. Are you looking for an Active Adult Lifestyle? This is Utah's only Active Adult Golf Course Community.  Do you like GOLF?  How about Tennis? Look into enjoying an Active Adult Lifestyle in the golf course community of SunRiver today! 08/31/2009

It seems like no matter where I am in the house, our little rescued kitty, Hiway, grabs eye contact and stalks me. I can be at my desk working and get a sensation crawling up my neck, I turn and there she is...slowly making her way to me...never breaking eye contact and the,,,SHE JUMPS AT ME!!! It really is unnerving at times when it is especially unexpected and she does command attention! 08/30/2009

  30 teams teed off at 8:00 am Friday the 28th of August at the Sand Hollow Golf Course for the 6thAnnual  Chamber Classic Golf Tournament. http://www.stgeorgechamber.com  The Grand Prize: 2 Tickets to The Masters Tournament IF you happened to get a hole-in-one on hole #15. How exciting! Our team name was  WAI Out There. (Short for Windermere Real Estate Southland, Axiom Financial, and Inwest Title. And believe me, we were way out there! It felt good to be on such a dynamic golf course that continually lifted the senses with just a quick glance!  From left to right: Sarah Border-Inwest Title, me, Lee Boerckel-Windermere Real Estate Southland, Sandy Thompson-Axiom Financial   We had string and a couple of mulligan cards to help improve our scores but it wasn't enough to place in the top... 08/30/2009

An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house, and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen. The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, "Last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it very highly." The other man said, "What is the name of the restaurant?" The first man thought and thought and finally said, "What is the name of that flower you give to someone you love? You know... The one that's red and has thorns." "Do you mean a rose?" "Yes, that's the one," replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, "Rose, what's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?"     08/28/2009

Everyone at ActiveRain, meet Diana, my brother's pride and joy! She is a West Highland Terrier (Westie) She was born on June 24th in Western Pennsylvania. Isn't she a doll?! 08/27/2009

Ignore a barking dog and it will go away! This is timeless advice from my grandfather who was a very gentle man who had many, many friends, not just friends his age but also friends my age. He is someone I continue to look up to even though he physically left this world long ago. As I meet new people and become more acquainted with personality types, I keep this in mind as I get a nasty voice message from a woman who is not satisfied with the way I do my job. She starts out..."this is the way we do things here!"...along with..."I have had extensive conversations with so-and-so regarding these tactics!"...to, "my clients are livid!" If I took every situation to heart that I've experienced since becoming an agent, I'd be at home bawling my eyes out due to some events that have taken place... 08/26/2009

Windermere Real Estate Southland Weekly Residential Report For Washington County, Utah   SOUTHERN UTAH RESIDENTIAL WEEKLY REPORT FOR THE WEEK August 19, 2009 ~ AUGUST 25, 2009 Current Week New Listings                                       Closings                                 Pendings Residential - 86                                Residential - 64                      Residential - 53 Land / Lots - 71                                  Land / Lots - 7                       Land / Lots - 3  Prior Week                                        August 12 - August 19, 2009 New Listings                                       Closings                                  Pendings Residential - 172                                Residential - 67                       Residential - 80 Land / Lots -... 08/26/2009

      I have to admit Ididn't know much about Utah until we went last month to pick up our family pet. But, what Idiscovered was a state with an amazing history and a historical marketpretty much every exit.While waiting for Athenato be caught, (Yes she excaped) we were told itwas going to be an hour to an hour and half later than we thought itwas going to be before we could pick up Athena. So, we could see theSt. George Temple from the freeway and since we decided we had sometime, we should go check it out.WOW! I was amazed at thehistory of this temple. I just always assumedwith the Mormon church and its history in Utah and Salt Lake that theSalt Lake Temple was the first. But in reality the St. George templewas the 3rd, but was actually finished long before the Salt Lake templein Salt... 08/23/2009

Want to know what's going on in this Active Adult community?  Thinking of buying retirement property at SunRiver in St. George?  Then you need to keep up to date on the latest "Happenings"!  Want to read past versions of the newsletter?  Or bookmark a place to check back for future editions?  Then go here:  http://www.sunriver.com/newsletter/ The current edition's main story revolves around healthcare.  Check it out!     08/23/2009

Sound too good to be true? Not as much as you'd think. And having a higher credit score will save you money - big money. Higher credit scores help make you eligible for the best terms when you borrow money, and could even save you money on things like insurance premiums too. Try out these four simple steps to improving your own credit score...you could see dramatic results! 1. Pay your past due accounts If an account is not in collection or charge-off status, and has a past due balance, then it is a good idea to pay the past due amount. Yes, this sounds obvious, but understand that credit scoring software severely penalizes you for having accounts with a past due balance. Making sure all of your accounts are current, and paying the amount that shows as being past due on the credit repor... 08/21/2009

Friday Funnies: Pig! A man is driving up a steep, narrow mountain road. A woman is driving down the same road. As they pass each other, the woman leans out of the window and yells "PIG!"The man immediately leans out of his window and replies, "HAG!"They each continue on their way, and as the man rounds the next corner, he crashes into a pig in the middle of the road and dies.If only men would listen!               08/21/2009

Do you want a little exercise AND to make new friends? Join a City League and play softball! www.sgcity.org  It's fun, healthy and who knows, maybe you'll be the MVP with the winning play! St. George City Recreation Department has a vast selection of Team Sports to play throughout the year and some of the best facilities to utilize! From Men's to Women's teams, there is a league that will suit your style and ability. My team, the Tonaquint Data Center www.tonaquintdc.com plays on the Tuesday night co-ed team and we have a lot of fun and it's quite exciting to come together weekly and play to win!   The Canyons Softball Complex located at 1890 W 2000 N St George, UT 84770. It has been named "Softball Complex of the Year" for the past 5 consecutive years by the NSA (National Softball Ass... 08/20/2009